India and Nepal ink agreement to boost rail trade connectivity

During a bilateral meeting last week between Mr Piyush Goyal, Commerce and Industry Minister, and Mr Anil Kumar Sinha, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Government of Nepal, both countries interchanged Letter of Exchange (LoE) amending the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit between India and Nepal. This will facilitate the movement of rail-based freight between Jogbani (India) and Biratnagar (Nepal) including bulk cargo under an expanded definition. This liberalisation extends to key transit corridors - Kolkata-Jogbani, Kolkata-Nautanwa (Sunauli) and Visakhapatnam-Nautanwa (Sunauli) - thereby strengthening multimodal trade connectivity between the two countries and Nepal’s trade with third countries.

The LoE enables direct rail connectivity along the Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link for both containerised and bulk cargo, facilitating transport from the ports of Kolkata and Visakhapatnam to the Nepal Customs Yard cargo station located in Morang District, near Biratnagar in Nepal. This rail link, constructed with grant assistance from the Government of India, was jointly inaugurated by the Prime Ministers of India and Nepal in June 2023.

 

 

The meeting also welcomed ongoing bilateral initiatives to enhance cross-border connectivity and trade facilitation, including the development of Integrated Check Posts and other infrastructure. India remains Nepal’s largest trade and investment partner, accounting for a significant share of its external trade. These new measures are expected to further consolidate economic and commercial linkages between the two countries and beyond, said a release.

Please visit our youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ikargos2719 for fortnightly logistics news analysis and more!